Both Pierre and Justin received their post-secondary education at the prestigious College Jean-de-Brebeuf in Montreal.

After, Pierre earned a law degree at Universite de Montreal before studying political economy at Harvard and in Paris. He began a doctorate at the London School of Economics, but did not finish his thesis, instead spending a year travelling the world.

Memorable moments by Pierre Trudeau:

“Just Watch Me”: One of the most famous political phrases in Canadian history. The comment was made on Oct. 13, 1970 after Trudeau was asked by the CBC about how far he would go to deal with the FLQ after the Quebec separatist group had kidnapped a British diplomat and the province’s labour minister, Pierre Laporte. Three days later, Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act.

“Fuddle duddle”: During a particularly heated session of Parliament on Feb. 16, 1971, Trudeau allegedly told an opposition member to “f— off.” Grilled about it after, Trudeau denied swearing and instead claimed he had said “fuddle duddle.” The strange phrase instantly stuck with the public.

The Pirouette: It has become one of Canada’s most famous photographs. On May 7, 1977, Trudeau was making an appearance with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. As the Queen walked in front of him, Trudeau suddenly spun behind her. The moment, captured by news photographers, was seen by admirers as the epitome of his gumption and rebellious nature, but blasted by critics as symbolic of arrogance and disrespect for others.

Memorable moments by Justin Trudeau:

“Je t’aime papa”: Eyes across the nation welled with tears as Trudeau uttered those final words during his father’s eulogy on Sept. 28, 2000. That eulogy marked Trudeau’s return to the public consciousness after years of flying under the radar, and kickstarted serious talk about the start of a political dynasty.

Stephen Harper’s Canada/Justin Trudeau’s Quebec: Though a staunch federalist, Trudeau prompted significant controversy in February 2012 when he mused in a French-language interview that he would “think about wanting to make Quebec a country” if the Harper government started rolling back the clock on abortion rights, gay marriage and other issues. He then held a fiery press conference in which he said he did not support Quebec separating, but was concerned about the direction the Harper Conservatives were taking the country. The press conference was notable both for Trudeau’s criticisms of the government and his use of the third-person to describe himself.

The Boxing Match: It was the most highly anticipated political event (outside an election) in recent memory: Trudeau against then-Conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing match. The fight, which took place March 31, 2012, quickly took on political undertones. Derisively labelled “the Shiny Pony” by one media outlet, Trudeau was the undisputed underdog. But he pulled off a stunning victory that gave hope to Liberals and led to speculation it was the first, choreographed step in his leadership run.

– Lee Berthiaume

Justin has a degree in English literature from McGill University and a teaching degree from the University of British Columbia. He also studied engineering at the Université de Montréal and environmental geography at McGill, but did not finish. Justin also took a year to travel the world.

University of Waterloo historian John English, who wrote Pierre Trudeau’s official biography, says both men were good students, sharing a curiosity that has manifested itself in both travel and study.

Career Experience:

After his adventures abroad, Pierre spent a year in Ottawa as an economic adviser in the Privy Council Office. Returning to Montreal, he became an outspoken writer and lawyer, calling for a more open, progressive and outward-looking Quebec; he also represented union workers across the province. He taught law at Universite de Montreal for four years.

After working as a snowboard instructor at Whistler, Justin taught English, French and drama at two Vancouver schools. Later, he worked as a spokesman and board member for several non-profit groups. Just before entering politics, Trudeau earned hundreds of thousands of dollars as a public speaker.

Political Experience:

Pierre was handed a safe Liberal seat, Mount Royal, and never had to worry about winning his own riding. Justin was forced to run for the Liberal nomination in the seesaw Montreal riding of Papineau, then took on a popular Bloc Quebecois incumbent in the 2008 election. He held the seat in 2011.

“Pierre never had to knock on doors,” English says. “He was given a safe seat. Justin has had to fight and fight.”

Selected at age 48 to succeed Lester Pearson as Liberal leader – and hence prime minister – Pierre had served less than three years in Parliament. This included just over a year as Pearson’s parliamentary secretary and one year as justice minister, where he introduced landmark legislation that decriminalized gay sex, legalized contraception and abortion, and toughened gun control and drunk-driving laws.

Justin, 41, has had four-and-a-half years of parliamentary experience, but has kept a relatively low profile in the House of Commons: he has held no major critic portfolios or introduced any legislation. Instead, the party has used his charisma and drawing power as a major fundraising tool.

Style and Approach:

Pierre was known for edgy unpredictability: the pirouette behind the Queen, the middle finger aimed at protesters in Salmon Arm, B.C., – even the “Just watch me” comment in reference to his government’s actions during the FLQ crisis. He dated movie stars, hobnobbed with John Lennon and styled himself a swinging bachelor. Yet Pierre was extremely shy, according to John English. Many saw his antics as extreme arrogance.

Justin shares his father’s ability to turn fashion and looks to advantage.

But he is at ease in a crowd. The edge is also missing; English says he’s “almost Clintonesque in his approach.” Justin, a husband and father (Pierre was still single when he became prime minister), appears to many to exude empathy and compassion; others see him as contrived and self-righteous.

Pierre’s motto was “reason over passion.” Justin portrays himself as a compassionate pragmatist. He is easy to excite. In December 2011, Justin called Environment Minister Peter Kent a “piece of Sh—“ during a heated debate in the House of Commons. He later apologized, admitting he’d lost his cool.

Quebec:

Fighting Quebec separatism, Pierre Trudeau moved to empower Quebecers by bringing them closer to the levers of power. He brought in official bilingualism but rejected special status for Quebec. After leaving office, Pierre remained an outspoken, influential opponent of the Meech and Charlottetown Accords, predicting that devolution of powers from the federal government to the provinces through such accords would lead to the country’s breakup.

Also a staunch federalist, Justin has called for an end to efforts to “buy off” Quebec. His message to Quebecers is it’s in their interest to re-engage with the country and help solve the pressing issues of the day. Justin has accused the NDP of “playing dangerous games” by fiddling with the Clarity Act (which sets out the conditions under which the federal government would negotiate the secession of a province), brought in by the Jean Chretien Liberal government.

“On this issue Justin is his father’s son,” English says.

Federalism:

Pierre’s vision for addressing the Quebec question was to create equality throughout the federation. He believed a strong federal government would ensure equal opportunity for all Canadians – even if it meant taking from the rich to give to the poor. One result was the National Energy Program, reviled in the West.

Justin has criticized his father’s National Energy Program – while also lashing out at the Harper government for its hands-off approach to federal-provincial affairs. But he believes the country needs federal leadership, including on education and health care, which are areas of mostly provincial jurisdiction.

Economic policy:

Pierre Trudeau undertook constant efforts to equalize incomes across the country as part of his calls for a “Just Society.” This included experiments on wage and price controls, nationalizing industrial sectors, and redistributing wealth from one part of the country to another. Pierre also expanded social welfare and unemployment insurance. The result was higher unemployment, more national debt and alienation of the West – a problem for Liberals to this day.

Justin has talked about changing the country’s economic model, blasting what he sees as a focus on growth that doesn’t reward the majority of Canadians. What his vision would look like is unclear. He has expressed support for the corporate tax cuts of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, but criticized those made by the Harper government. He favours more foreign investment and trade, but opposes the elimination of government control over the country’s dairy, egg and poultry sectors.

“Pierre had a lot of trouble with those issues,” English says of the economy. “Justin is going to need some credibility on these issues, which may involve recruiting strong candidates to his team.”

Civil liberties:

Before politics, Pierre supported workers’ rights and served as legal counsel to unions in Quebec. He helped decriminalize gay sex and legalize contraception and abortion as justice minister. The 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms was intended to establish a common quality of life and expectation of fairness for all Canadians. But while interested in issues such as Aboriginal rights, Pierre quickly lost motivation if things didn’t move fast enough, English says.

Justin has spoken in support of everything from gay rights to the plight of the First Nations to the need for more affordable housing. He met with Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence during her controversial hunger strike in Ottawa in December 2012, criticized the Harper government for not doing more to help immigrants bring their families to Canada, and called for the federal government to do more to help the most vulnerable.

Western Canada:

The Liberal Party hadn’t had a particularly strong showing west of Ontario since 1949, and Pierre did little to mend those fences with his focus on Quebec and central Canada. The National Energy Program, which sought to spread Alberta’s oil wealth to poorer parts of the country, came to symbolize this disregard of the West. The Liberal brand has never really recovered in the West.

Justin toured Alberta and western Canada several times during the current leadership race. He criticized both NDP leader Tom Mulcair’s complaints about the oilsands and his own father’s National Energy Program. He has said he misspoke in a 2010 French-language interview when he alluded to too many Albertans being in power, saying his goal was to get Quebecers more engaged in national politics.

Energy and the Environment:

Pierre’s Liberals voted with the NDP to create Petro-Canada in 1975, thereby nationalizing much of Canada’s energy production. Like the National Energy Program, it was liked in the East but hated in the West. Justin has criticized the Harper government for presenting a “false choice” between economic prosperity and environmental protection. He supports pipelines to get Canadian oil to market – if they have environmental support and societal buy-in. He supports the Keystone pipeline in the United States, but opposes the Northern Gateway pipeline through British Columbia, preferring an alternative route to the West coast if it meets his criteria. He favours setting a price for pollution, but won’t say if he prefers a carbon tax or cap and trade, arguing that is a matter of wider debate. He backs more foreign investment and supported the takeover of oil firm Nexen by a Chinese company.